birdwatching breaks budapest

Short birding trips around the capitals of Central Europe.

Summary and recommendation: 1-4 days birding around the most beautiful capital in Central Europe. Ideal for business-travellers and other short-time visitors.

Destination country:
1./ Hungary. Arrive and depart to Budapest.
2./ Regarding 1-3 days birding around Wienna, Zagreb and Ljubljana please ask for details!

Next schedule: Upon request only.

Duration: 1-4 days

Price: Ask! Price includes: accommodations and meals (lunch is typically picnic!), drinking water, vehicle hire with fuel and driver guide, park entrance fees and ranger guides. The price exclude: bank transfer loss, international flight, visa, tips, drinks, personal travel insurance and any other activities of personal request e.g. laundry, toalet fees, phone calls, etc.

Accommodation: Three-star pensions with all rooms en suite.

Summary:
-"Puszta". Hortobagy, Kiskunsag (the mostwestern part of the huge eastern steppes; Great Bustard, Saker, Red-footed Falcon, etc.)
-Fishfarms (herons, duckies, greebes, terns)
-Forest-steppe foothills (9 woodpeckers, Imperial Eagle, Ural Owl, etc.)

-Late April (shorebird passage)
-May (breeding in full swing)
-August (return migration)
-October (crane and wildfowl passage, wallcreepers)

Budapest-birding (also called sometimes BudaBest or BudaRest :): Our itineraries are designed for people with limited time who want to see the best of Hungary's special birds and habitats. An hourly drive from the airport is enough to see Great Bustard, and Saker Falcon. Furthermore eight woodpecker species including White-backed and Black, Imperial Eagles are all available within 30 miles of Budapest. Three days covers the Zemplen Hills, Hortobagy' pusta grasslands and Kiskunsag National Parks, each with their own specialties. If you are travelling with a companion with other interests we can offer them a cultural sightseeing program in and around Budapest, including the Danube Bend, Szentendre and Godollo. The details of our itineraries are flexible and can be amended on request. Naturally we are happy to meet you at the airport, or at your hotel, and fisnih the tour anywhere you would like.

Other areas/ habitats and cultural aspects available around Budapest:

Börzsöny Hills. Target birds: Saker Falcon, eight woodpecker species including the rare White-backed, plus Imperial Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and many forest passerines. Eagle and Ural Owls are rare but possible. Between autumn and spring the best birds are Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor and northern migratory waterbirds on the Danube. Cultural aspects: Apart from Budapest we can visit the Serbian influenced city of Szentendre which is one of the most beautiful cities in Hungary and it's impressive open-air village museum, plus the picturesque Danube bend where we visit Visegrad Royal Palace and the Basilica at Esztergom. There are some gorgeus and extensive gardens (of former arictocratic palaces) within easy approach, offering fantastic birding as well.

Parks of Martonvásár, Alcsút and Csákvár. Target birds: Seven woodpecker species, many forest Passerines, including Hawfinch and Collared Flycatcher. Cultural aspects: Beautiful huge parks with aristocratic palaces. Martonvásár was at one time the home of Beethoven where he reputedly had a love-affair with the local countess.

Half day, approx. 150 km round trip from Budapest.

Vértes Hills and wetlands plus Lake Velence. Target birds: Imperial Eagle, Waterbirds, Saker, Curlew, forest Passerines. Cultural aspects: Camandulese hermitage and the castle at Lovasberény.

Half or full day, approx. 100 km round trip from Budapest.

Kiskunsag NP. Target birds: Great Bustards (up to 250 birds in one flock possible in spring), Pygmy Cormorant, Ferrugineous Duck, Little Bittern, Bittern, Squacco, Purple and Grey Herons, Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes, Great White and Little Egrets, White Stork, Spoonbill, Red-crested Pochard, Saker Falcon, Red-footed Falcon, Montagu's Harrier, Quail, Crakes, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Stone Curlew, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Curlew, Marsh Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Little, Black, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns, Barn, Scops, Little, Short-eared and Long-eared Owls, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, various woodpeckers, Woodlark, Bluethroat, Redstart, all "Locustella" warblers, Moustached Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Bearded Tit, Penduline Tit, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Jackdaw, Serin, Twite,Tawny Pipit, Snow Butning and Corn Bunting.Cultural aspects: -

Half or full day, approx. 120-230 km round trip from Budapest.

Hortobagy NP. Target birds: Pygmy Cormorant, Little Bittern, Bittern, Squacco, Purple and Grey Herons, Black-necjed and Red-necked Grebes, Great White and Little Egrets, White Storks, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Great Bustard, Saker, Peregrine and Red-footed Falcons, White-tailed Eagle, Montagu's Harrier, Quail, Crakes, Corncrake, European Crane, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Stone Curlew, Kentish Plover, Dotterel, Curlew, Marsh Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Great Black-headed Gull, Blac, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns, Short-eared, Long-eared and Little Owls, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, various woodpeckers, Bluethroat, all "Locustella" warblers, Aquatic warbler, Moustached Warbler, Bearded Tit, Penduline Tit, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Jackdaw, Rose-coloured Starling, Tawny Pipit, Serin, Twite, Lapland Bunting, Snow Butning and Corn Bunting. Cultural aspects: We visit the animal farm with endemic domesticated animals, "Puszta" visit to view local horse riding traditions, stop at the famous nine-arched bridge and traditional Hungarian cuisine at the renowned Hortobagy Csarda.

1-2 days, approx. 420 km round trip from Budapest.

Little Balaton Special Reserve. Target birds: Pygmy Cormorant, Ferrugineous Duck, Little Bittern, Bittern, Squacco, Purple and Grey Herons, Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes, Great White and Little Egrets, Black and White Storks, Spoonbill, Red-crested Pochard, White-tailed Fish Eagle, Montagu's Harrier, Quail, Crakes, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Curlew, Mediterranean Gull, Black, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, various woodpeckers, Bluethroat, all "Locustella" warblers, Moustached Warbler, Barred Warbler, Bearded Tit, Penduline Tit, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Jackdaw, Serin, Siskin and Corn Bunting. Cultural aspects: Innumerable aspects en route including historic Tihany Abbey, the old Royal city at Székesfehérvár or Veszprém, wine tasting at Badacsony or St. György Hill, visit to Count Festetich palace at Keszthely, thermal Spa at Hévíz etc.

1 day, approx. 360 km round trip from Budapest.

Zemplen Hills. Target birds: Eight woodpecker species, Ural Owl, Eagle Owl, Imperial Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Golden Eagle, Corncrake, Hazelhen, Black and White Storks, Wheatear, Rock Thrush, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Rock Bunting, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers, Hawfinch, and Barred and River Warblers. Cultural aspects: Ancient fortresses at Sirok and Boldogkõváralja and wine tasting at Tokaj.

2 days, approx. 460 km round trip from Budapest.

Aggtelek NP. Target birds: Imperial Eagle, Dipper, Rock Bunting, Rock Thrush. Cultural aspects: Baradla underground cave system, one of only four UN World Heritage Site cave systems in the world.

2 days, approx. 370 km round trip from Budapest.

Endemic: Hungarian Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla ssp. hungarica).

Internationally endangered birds: Aquatic Warbler and Pygmy Cormorant (Hortobagy), Corncrake (widespread), Lesser White-fronted Goose (Hortobagy), Ferruginous Duck (widespread), Great Bustard (Kiskunsag, Hortobagy, Devavanya), Imperial Eagle (Vertes, Borzsony, Zemplen Hills), Greater Spotted Eagle (migratory, mainly at Hortobagy and Kis-Balaton), Slender-billed Curlew (extremely rare at Hortobagy and Kiskunsag).

Other "European rarities" that breed or occur in Hungary: Little Bittern, Bittern, Squacco Heron, Great White and Little Egrets, Black and White Storks, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Red-breasted Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Black Kite, Saker, Peregrine and Red-footed Falcons, Golden, White-tailed and Short-toed Eagles, Montagu's Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Levant Sparrowhawk, Hazel Hen, Quail, Little, Spotted and Baillon's Crakes, European Common Crane, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Stone Curlew, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Dotterel, Curlew, Marsh Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Great Black-headed Gull, Little, Black, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns, Barn, Scops, Eagle, Ural, Short-eared and Tengmalm's Owls, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, eight species of woodpecker, Woodlark, Shore Lark, Dipper, Alpine Accentor, Thrush Nightingale, Bluethroat, Redstart, Rock Trush, all "Locustella" warblers, Moustached Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Bearded Tit, Penduline Tit, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Wallcreeper, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Nutcracker, Jackdaw, Rose-coloured Starling, Collared Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Serin, Siskin, Twite, Redpoll, Tawny Pipit, Crossbill, Scarlet Rosefinch, Lapland Bunting, Snow Butning, Cirl Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Rock Bunting and Corn Bunting.